Wednesday, November 28, 2007

I finished the knitting on Cobblestone last night and tried it on. I love it. Big and comfy but not too big. Pink but not too pink. Waist shaping would make it better but even so it's a good sweater. Maybe even a great sweater. Tonight I'll graft the underarms and tuck in the ends and it will be done. I can wear it on Thursday since I don't think we will be painting in Color Theory class.

Today I am wearing the other sweater I cast on and finished in November. I bought 4 skeins of Briggs & Little on sale and was so excited that I started swatching that night. 6 days later I had a finished sweater. And this time I was smart. I took out my favorite sweater of all time, a cotton sweater bought at Penny's a few years ago. I measured everything. The width, the armhole depth, the waist shaping and drew a schematic before I started. Then using knitting Without Tears I did an EZ percentage system saddleshoulder sweater with wast shaping and a panel of lace and cables down the front. It matches my schematicsexactly and yet the hip shaping is a bit too abrupt and the waist shaping too high. Goes to show that measurements from a freshly washed cotton sweater don't transfer over well to wool. But overall this sweater is a succes. And the minor problems it does have can be fixed with a steam block. I'm wearing it right now.

I want to post photos but next week is the last week of school. That means 3 final projects, a paper, and portfolio review. I have very little motivation and have squandered my morning online. Having typed that I might be motivated to start working for the day.

Anyway, no photos this week or next. Maybe photos the week after. I have so much to show. It seems that I've been buying some yarn.

Monday, November 26, 2007

I haven't been blogging because my knitting is gotten in the way. I can't put it down long enough to download the photos. But I've finished the Tree Jacket, the Spartan Pullover, the Lopi Sweater, a Sweater of my Own Design out of Briggs & Little, and am 90% done on Cobblestone that I started since posting last.

9. Where were you last night? Knitting while listening to Kim by Kipling. I love books on tape.

10. What color is your front door? Gray.

11. Where do you keep your change? In a coffee mug, a bowl, another bowl, a carved wooden box, and the pockets of my coat.

12. What’s the weather like today? Dark, windy, and warm.

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Rocky Road.

14. What excites you? Buying yarn, learning new things, and having people over.

15. Do you want to cut your hair? Yes, it needs a trim.

16. Are you over the age of 25? Yes.

17. Do you talk a lot? When I have someone to talk to I'm a chatterbox but I can go all week without talking to anybody.

18. Do you watch the O.C.? No, it's not still on, is it?

19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Steven and Stephen and if there is another spelling I know him too.20. Do you make up your own words? All the time.

21. Are you a jealous person? No, I don't think so.22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Anna

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Needlefingers

24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? Is that on my phone? I try to leave my phone alone. We are all happier that way.

25. What does the last text message you received say? See above. I like to leave my phone alone. If it rings I answer it. That's all a phone should do.

26. Do you chew on your straw? Yes.

27. Do you have curly hair? No, it's limp and thin. It could use a little curl.

28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? I haven't decided. Maybe Half Priced Books to turn a few of my books into cash.

29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? I can't think of anyone. I usually don't dwell on such things.

30. What was the last thing you ate? Cinamon rolls, already.

31. Will you get married in the future? I think not.32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? I haven't watched a movie since, what did I go see this summer?... Right! Spiderman 3 sometime in July. I don't care that much about movies.

33. Is there anyone you like right now? All my friends, but my family is giving me pains.

34. When was the last time you did the dishes? By hand? I think not. I ran the dishwasher yesterday.

35. Are you currently depressed? No, thankfully. That doesn't happen until mid winter.

36. Did you cry today? No, why would I?

37. Why did you answer and post this? Because it's my very first tag.

38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey. No, I think not. Let it die here.

Monday, November 05, 2007

I knit the sleeves up. Since the body of the sweater was so big I may have knit the sleeves a bit big too. Maybe by an inch, maybe even two inches. But when I was happy with them I did the math and I was right at 33% of 190. I used this as an excuse to do nothing to the body. It must be fate. Or me twisting the information to be what I wanted not what it really is. But is there a difference? So I’ll have another oversized sweater to add to my closet.

It could be pointed out that I don’t wear either of my 2 other oversized sweater and I rationalized this way. Both of them are 44” around this one is only 42” I’m sure those 2 inches will make all the difference. Also I’m going to knit 2 or 3 more inches to the body so it’s a long oversized sweater. I’ve learned my lesson that a 44” really short sweater never gets worn because it makes me look stumpy and heavy. The other one is long but I don’t wear it either. The ribbing flares out at the bottom after felting it a little bit in the machine to make it smaller. I am ignoring that it went into the machine because I wasn’t wearing it.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Pull it out to the color work band, decide where around my hips it should rest, measure and map the inches to my waist, decrease away 30 stitches, the do the same and increase back up to the bust to 175 stitches or so.

The second is more complicated and much more prone to error and of course is the one I’m leaning toward. And do I want 160 stitches at the waist or more? Do I want my original 160 at the bust or do I now think that would be too snug? I’m pretty sure it would be too snug. Would 175 be better? Tinkerbelle was a Luster Longwool/Romney cross. Not soft at all, but surprisingly, not scratchy either and the yarn is shiny and smooth and a little crunchy with almost no drape. I’m now thinking 160 wouldn’t have been what I wanted either. All ready I’m scribbling out equations and feeling all sorts of unsure of myself.

I do know I want to make the saddle shoulder sweater from EZ No More Tears. So for now I’m putting the body aside and I’m knitting a sleeve to fit. EZ says the sleeve should be 33% of the body for this sweater so when I have the sleeve I can then figure out the bust size I want.

I really should just knit the sleeves first. I did that with the lopi sweater and it seems that I didn’t learn my lesson that ripping out and reknitting a sleeve is much nicer than doing that to the body of the sweater. I think I was too absorbed with the fact I had to rip out the sleeve. Now I know.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Some days I hate my brain. Oh, usually it works well enough. It gets me by in regular life. It has even garnered me an invitation to join Mensa. But in some ways, It. Just. Does. Not. Work.

I was knitting along on the Spartan sweater having a grand time listening to The Fellowship of the Ring and then The Two Towers on tape and at an inch an hour had finally almost finished the body. Well, the tape measure said the body was almost long enough but it sure looked a bit stubby to me. But who can tell all bunched up on circular needles. I kept on knitting. 2 inches later it was for sure long enough and the stubby look was still there.

With growing dread I pulled the knitting off the needle and beheld an incredibly wide sweater and not the slim sweater I had cast on. Hmmm, gauge problem? I had been checking my gauge all along and it was spot on. I check it again. Nope, it’s still fine.

I measure it, I try it on, I push it and stretch it. Nothing comes to me. I count my stitches 3 times. It is the perfect 190 stitches. Somehow it is still too big.

I finally pull out my calculation card with all the scribbled and crossed out and erased math bits. And right there. Right in the center. With a big circle drawn around it and little stars marking it was my cast on number.